The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-11

Even your mother never said that much to
mel"
II did not wake you. Iheard you walk
ing, and then heard you groan, and
thought you might be in pain, and IF
l1neeling down before him laid my head ON
his knees-.'O, fatherl Father have al
ways loved YOU, but was so afraid of you.
but / guess it was my fault tool ought to
have thought more of you when mamma
died thought you didn't care much, but
now know YOU did l know you are
grieving for her every day. o, please let
me love you! o, don't send me away"
was sobbing withall the passion of my
nature. He lifted my head from his knees,
but not urgently, and walked to the win
dow Now that the ice was broken poured
out all the grief that had been smouldering
in my heart through the sad years of my
lonely life. begged him to forgive me. |
begged him to love me. When | had
finished and lay back exhausted in his
chair he turned his head little.
ibid you ever telfyour mother this"
Never. She knew felt your--your--"
''My cruelty, Go ON s
But never talked to her about 1t.
"And what did she tell you of meF'
Nothing that was not good. She said
sometimes that she knew you loved me, but
you did not know how to show it. Then
she would always cry"
He put his hand up before his eyes, and
fierce struggle seemed to be going on with
in him. | thought it was grief for her sor-
row. and ! asked
Did you then love her so much,
father!"
He darted an angry glance at me, and
dark flush came into his face.
How dare you ask me such question?
Is it anything to you"
eyes, sir,'' answered, steadily. cit is
much to me. She was my mother the only
being i'll the world who loved me, and |
can't help wanting to know why she was
never happy. Won't you tell me, father"
He came over to the table and stood
where the light shone full on his face. 1t
was CHASTITY, and drawn as if with pain. He
pointed to the dainty bronze clock. As l
looked toward it my eyes wandered around
the room with its elegant books its choice
pictures and rare bronZes-ltS velvet carpet
and luxurious chairs and sofas. | could not
help thinking how pitiful our two sad faces
must look amid all this elegance and
b ,al ty!
Its 3o'clock," he said. "Have you been
awake all nightF'
mo, sir. had a bad dream that
awakened me about an hour before came
to you"
"What was the dreamY'
| hesitated
'tTell me-" he commanded, and ] told
him.
He tired to laugh, but as looked at him
his knees began to shake, and he sat down
on chair and let his head drop on the Ia
BILE
"You can CO." he said, presently. =
/ arose and stood by his side.
"Then you send me away from you with
out"
He pointed to the door, and as | obeyed
the old bitter feeling came back.
Stay a moment. Jeffrey, come here"
| went back.
''You said just now that you wanted my
love. am not quite certain that you do.
Ha! ha! 1t is long since any one spoke to
me of love, boy. l have that to tell you
that will make you change your mind
Come here tomorrow after the breakfast
hour, and | will tell you all you want to
know of your father, and more We will
wait until that is over before we talk of
love-
''But will love you in spite of what you
tell me-"
at is a black secret; you cannotm
May | kiss you goodnight, fatherW
''Not tonight. Not tonight" he said, his
features working strangely. Wait until
you hear what | am Now go to bed"
He called to me again as. reached the
door.
"Are you afraid to go aloneg'
mo, sir 1 said, and I went sorrowfully
back to bed.
l soon fell asleep, and slept soundly until
morning. But knew my father did not
close his eyes all night. / dreaded the in
terview, yet | felt kind of pride in the
thought that he would take me into his CON
fidence After that, thought, we should
understand each other. He did not come to
breakfast, but sent word he was i'll. He was
lying down. and looking very wan and
tired when l went in after my hurried
breakfast.
''Sit down over there" he said, pointing
to chair on the opposite side of the room,
land let us have it over"
He looked so stern that | did not inter
rupt him, though | felt sure that he was too
weak to talk much.
Il shall tell what have to tell in as few
words as possible, as | haven't much
breath; or time either, l fancy" he began.
" You had better make up your mind to be
shocked, Jeffrey think You are pure
hearted boy, and know nothing of the dark
passions that have made your father what
he is. was like you once, but that was
long ago. | think my nature was first
warped and twisted INTO such unlovely
shapes by my stepmother. She first taught
me to suspect and distrust my fellow-creat-
ures. But win pass over that. / was not
a bad man, jeffrey, when L first loved your
mother, and she might have made me any
thing she cared to, but for the dark destiny
that always pursued me. loved her. boy
loved her! do you hear it? loved her when
was most harsh, loved her when
she lay dying in that room yonder!
would have given the last drop of my blood
to have saved her, though | knew | was
breaking her heart You did not know,
you two, when you wept together in that
room that your grief was bliss to the mad
anguish, the torture of my soul, as / saw
her suffer at my hands and knew a dark
mystery divided us foreveri would have
given worlds to have thrown myself at her
feet and confessed it, but | could not en-
dure to see her shrink from me in horror.
No; better have the cold, proud silence be-
tween us. Your mother had a cousin, JEFF
frey, who loved her and wanted to marry
her. He never told his love until after she
promised to marry me. She never loved
him: that is, not as she did me- ! know
that now-knew it long ago, but would not
say SO. But they had been warm friends,
and she trusted him very much"
He stopped a moment, and looked across
me at picture of my mother on the wall
a laughing, girlish face that / scarcely
knew for my sad-eyed mother.
II am this much changed" he said,
hoarsely. II wished she had loved him and
married him before she ever knew mel |
wish this for her sake, bitterly as | hated
him He was my equal in all things save